EMRYSA

Chapter Two (II)

Sensing movement in her pouch, Ciara whispered, "Stompy, stop. What are you doing?" To her surprise, the afac responded, "I can sense my ma here." Ciara engaged in a fierce struggle with the adult afac. Breathless and bewildered, she whispered, "Your ma? The afac that’s trying to kill me is your mother?"

“Yes. Afacs can communicate with their minds.” said Stompy. “Well, can you use your mind magic to tell her to stop trying to bite my face off?” urged Ciara as the afac pinned her to the ground.

Morgana, growing increasingly frustrated, questioned the unfolding scene. "What is she doing? Use the afac!" Mordecai, more composed, reassured her, "She knows what she's doing."

Suddenly, to the astonishment of the crowd, the adult afac released Ciara from its grip. The baby afac leaped from Ciara's pouch and reunited with its mother, prompting gasps of awe. The adult afac wrapped its arms around her Ciara, drenching her in the process. Taking it as a gesture of gratitude for saving her cub, Ciara accepted the soaking hug with a grateful smile.

King Johnwick taunted Baltimore, "That was a marvelous performance, almost... magical." The crowd buzzed with excitement and murmurs of admiration. In a toneless voice, Baltimore approached Ciara, his words tinged with a hint of menace. "Young lady, you do know that magic is punishable by death?" he questioned, attempting to assert his authority.

Undeterred, Ciara faced him with unflinching resolve. "Yes, your majesty, but I assure you, I did not use magic," she confidently declared, her voice and expression devoid of fear. “Then you cheated.” Baltimore intimidated. “Everyone witnessed what happened here. I assure you that I did not cheat. There was no information on what happens in the contest on the posters.” said Ciara boldly. “I am not from this kingdom. That is, if you think I got inside information. I happened to find the afac on my journey here.” she added.

Baltimore signaled the guards to remove the afacs from the arena. Ciara watched as they were escorted away, giving Stompy a signal in the process. "Very well then, you may proceed. Continue with the contest," Baltimore ordered, his authority intact. The remaining contestants failed, often leaving the arena missing a body part. Out of the initial two hundred contestants, only seven remained, now set to form teams for the next round.

Concluding his speech, Baltimore addressed the victorious contestants, "Tomorrow, the seven of you who have advanced must form teams of no more than six members each. Return prepared for the second round."

With those words, Baltimore departed, accompanied by King Johnwick, leaving behind a mix of anticipation and determination among the remaining contestants.

Prince Warwick and Prince Fizzwick pulled their brother to the side, their faces filled with excitement. "We found her," Warwick exclaimed. Arc looked at his brothers in disbelief. "You actually found her goblingram?" he asked, curious and amazed. "Don't doubt our skills, pay up," Fizzwick said confidently. Arc handed him a pouch filled with gold coins. "Sweet," Fizzwick exclaimed, jiggling the pouch in his hand.

Warwick, not interested in the payment, had a different request. "You don't need to pay me, just set me up with her friend," he proposed, hoping for a favor in return. He handed Arc his magi-slate, and Arc scrolled through the portraits she had posted. He looked up at Warwick with a nod. "Deal," Arc agreed.

Ciara's magi-slate glowed as she placed it on Morgana's bed. A goblingram request? She wondered who it could be from. Moments later, her magi-slate lit up again with a message that read, "Hi, this is Arc."

"Hello, Arc. Or should I say Prince Arcwick," Ciara messaged back, a hint of playfulness in her response. "Haha, I guess I would have had to tell you later anyway," Arc replied, acknowledging the reveal of his royal identity.

Arc messaged Ciara from the comfort of his room. He laid on his bed, pondering on how to propose a courting relationship. He went through several iterations of writing and erasing before finally settling on a message he was satisfied with. He hit send and anxiously awaited her response. "So... Are you busy later today? I was wondering, can we meet?" he sent. Ciara replied promptly, "Sure, why not."

Arc sat up abruptly, his eyes and nose crinkling with excitement. "I'll text you the address," he messaged back. "Cool," Ciara responded before her icon disappeared, indicating that she was no longer online.

Prudy startled Ciara, breaking her concentration. "Was that Prince Arcwick?" Prudy asked with a mischievous grin. "Gosh, Prudy, don't sneak up on me like that. I almost elbowed you, and then you wouldn't be able to have children," Ciara said as she hurriedly hid her magi-slate. Prudy persisted, nudging Ciara. "That doesn't answer my question. Was that Prince Arcwick you were chatting with, hmm?" she grinned. Ciara lowered her head. "Yes," she answered. Prudy erupted in celebration, dancing and chanting, "My best friend nabbed a prince!"

"What did he say?" Prudy asked, unable to contain her curiosity and excitement. "He wants to meet me. What does that mean?" Ciara asked nervously. Morgana, engrossed in her magi-slate as usual, chimed in without looking away. "It means he liked what he saw and wants to see if you are more than just a pretty face," she inquired, adding her perspective to the conversation.

"Prudy, I need you to come with me," she urged, hoping for her friend's support. "No, there are things that you need to do by yourself," Prudy refused. Ciara continued to persuade, adopting a cute and endearing demeanor. "I want you to come. You have more experience than me, and you can guide me," she pleaded, hoping to change Prudy's mind. Morgana finally looked up from her magi-slate, giving Ciara her attention. "I will go with you," she offered. "I've had my fair share of suitors. If my father didn't scare them off, Mordecai did. And if Mordecai didn't, I did. I am experienced in these matters."

Prudy and Ciara exchanged puzzled glances. "Okay, I will go." Prudy said. Ciara nodded.

The contest fair was bustling with activity. Numerous carts lined the streets, selling a variety of items, including snacks, drinks, clothes, jewelry, and more. Ciara spotted Arcwick in the distance, wearing different clothes from the ones he wore during the competition, and no longer donning his crown. With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Ciara approached him.

Meanwhile, Prudy hid behind a vegetable cart, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the man standing beside her. She recognized him as Prince Warwick. "Good evening," he greeted her with a warm smile. Prudy was a bit flustered but she quickly regained her countenance. "Evening. Might I ask the reason why you are crouched behind this cart, your highness?" she inquired. "I will tell you my reason if you tell me yours," Warwick proposed, engaging in a playful exchange. Prudy agreed, saying, "Okay,"

The two of them peeked over the cart to observe the interaction between Ciara and Arc.

"I asked to meet here because I thought you would be more comfortable," Arc explained, his voice filled with sincerity. Ciara smiled, feeling at ease in his presence. "I am," she admitted, her eyes darting away from his gaze. Their magi-slates buzzed, and both Arc and Ciara checked their messages. Arc had received a message from Warwick, which read, "Offer to buy her something to eat, then subtly ask her.”

“Got it." Arc messaged back.

Ciara, on the other hand, checked Prudy's message, which provided tips on how to act. "Smile more, but not too much that it's creepy. Every now and then, play with your hair. It's curly, but curl it some more," the message suggested. Ciara took note of the advice, preparing herself for the encounter.